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Thursday, August 7, 2014

Begin Again and Again… And Maybe Again

Sometimes it’s all about the tenacity to begin again. Have
you seen the newish film Begin Again with Mark Ruffalo and Kiera Knightley and
a rather decent performance by Adam Levine (whose pretty boy looksare mostly submerged in a variety of
unfortunate facial hair choices)?

The basic plot is this: Mark Ruffalo is a music producer
whose last hit was too many years ago. He’s divorced, washed up, drunk a lot
and in need of a miracle. Kiera Knightley is a song writer/singer who has
deferred her career and life to follow in the shadow of the limelight of her
boyfriend, the new ‘it guy,’ complete with mega bucks contract, spiffy
apartment, and star status. Only then he cheats on her. (Levine) Another
miracle needed. At which point, their worlds collide, music happens,
rejuvenation happens, and in the end, everyone lives at least mostly happily
ever after. Including telling Adam Levine’s character to go f himself.

Not exactly the real world for more reasons than I’ll bother
to name here. But a pleasant two hours in the movie theater with my popcorn.

Still.There’s a
truth under there. Sometimes you have to begin again. And sometimes again after
that. And after that. And maybe more. A lot of people don’t have what it takes
to keep following the dream. But if you do, the tide turns eventually. I really
believe it does.

As I’ve documented in various blog posts over the past few
years, in publishing, it’s always about the willingness to do it over until you
get it right. The ability to suck it up when you get overlooked or not pitched
for an event or just plain fall on your face for whatever reason. When you get
promised stuff that never materializes or when you write a story you love but
which not enough people get or hear about or whatever. You can whine up a storm.Bemoan your lot in life. Change your name to
Job. Or you can begin again. Simple as that.

Fall is my favorite time for this, although it’s not the
only time. School is starting. Weather is changing. (well, not here in Texas
where September is called ‘still f-ing summer’) It’s my birthday. ( Okay, this
one only counts if you’re me. Or a Libra. Or a Scorpio) It’s Jewish New Year’s.
(Okay, this one only counts if you’re Jewish) But you get my point. For so many
of us, it’s not just January 1 when we press our restart buttons. It’s right
now when all things feel possible.

I loved Begin Again, especially that scene where Mark Ruffalo's character sees Keira Knightley singing for the first time and he imagines a band accompanying her. And I loved how they did a good job depicting the creative process and showing what life was like for people who loved writing and music.